Man charged with raping teen

PALMER — A Chugiak man strangled and then raped a 15-year-old Chugiak girl in a parking lot campsite, authorities said.

Ralph Barenz II, 33, faced arraignment Wednesday on charges of first-degree sexual assault and third-degree assault in Palmer Superior Court.

According to a sworn affidavit, Barenz picked up the victim and her 16-year-old sister about 11:30 p.m., Monday and drove them to his camper at Jim Creek. The trio drank vodka and smoked marijuana until about 3 a.m., Tuesday, authorities said.

Sometime after that, Barenz relocated to his tent, where the victim joined him, according to the affidavit.

After some mutual touching, during which Barenz undressed the victim, he asked for sex, authorities said. When the victim refused, Barenz grabbed her by the throat and strangled her until she saw stars and may have blacked out, according to the affidavit. During the struggle, two of the victim’s earrings and a nose ring were pulled out, Investigator Sherry Ferno wrote in her affidavit.

Finally, the victim “told (Barenz) to “do it” and she would not tell,” Ferno wrote.

After the rape, Barenz passed out, Ferno wrote. The victim dressed herself, and tried to wake her sister, but was unable to, so she woke the occupants of a nearby camper and asked them to call police, according to the affidavit.

Barenz was taken first to the Alaska State Troopers’ Palmer post, then to the Mat-Su Pretrial Facility pending arraignment, authorities said. He had been seeing the 14-year-old girl’s sister for about a month prior to the incident.

The parking lot where the rape allegedly occurred is a popular spot for excursions into the Jim Creek area, especially on ATVs. It serves several nearby trails, according to the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.

Barenz has an ongoing criminal case in the Palmer Court system, court records show. In that case, he faces one count each of misconduct involving a controlled substance in the third degree, fourth degree, and fifth degree, according to court records.

Contact Brian O’Connor at 352-2269 or brian.oconnor@frontiersman.com.